Few people are aware that all puppies are born with blue eyes because owners are typically the only ones who pay close attention to their puppy’s eye color. However, it is true that all puppies are born with blue eyes, whether they are entirely blue or have a blue tint.
Given what we now know, when do puppies’ eyes change from blue to another color? Here’s everything you need to know about puppy eye color, and when you can expect the changes to happen, in one handy guide.
Puppies’ eyes typically change color from blue to their final shade at the 9 to 12-week mark in their development. Your puppy should now have eyes that are the permanent shade that will last throughout adulthood.
Mature Eye Coloration
Puppies begin to gradually show their final eye color around 3 or 4 weeks of age. As deep brown is the most common eye color for dogs, you may start to notice chocolatey tones peeking through at this time. However, the process occurs slowly and doesn’t happen overnight. From this point, it frequently takes nine to twelve weeks for a puppy’s eye color to “settle in” and “stay.” As late as 16 weeks of age, the eyes’ permanent color can change.
When Does a Puppy Eye Color Begin Changing?
Once a newborn puppy’s eyes are open, they look blue. However, as their eyesight improves, the color of your puppy’s eyes begins to change.
When this happens, a puppy’s blue eyes turn brown or green. However, the transformation takes time, and the color won’t disappear immediately. You can expect to see your puppy’s eyes gradually turn darker over the coming weeks.
When your puppy is twelve weeks old and ready to go home, their eyes should have finally resolved into their adult color.
But not all dogs’ eyes darken.
When Do Puppies Lose Their Blue Eyes
It is not sudden but a gradual process. Puppies lose their blue eyes as soon as their irises start to develop melanin, which typically takes place between 9 and 12 weeks.
Puppies are essentially blind for the first week of life and navigate by using their sense of touch. It usually takes between two and three weeks after they first opened their eyes for the pupils to fully mature and take on a permanent color.
The primary cause of color changes and a factor in determining the final hue is melanin growth. Your dog’s shade will depend on how much melanin is produced, and vice versa.
FAQ
How do you tell if a puppy’s eyes will stay blue?
By observing the eye color of your puppy’s parents, you can typically determine whether it will have blue eyes permanently. Additionally, the breed the puppy belongs to can have an impact on this, with some breeds having a higher propensity for brown eyes than others.
At what age can you tell what color the puppies eyes are going to be?
Puppies begin to gradually show their final eye color around 3 or 4 weeks of age. As deep brown is the most common eye color for dogs, you may start to notice chocolatey tones peeking through at this time. However, the process occurs slowly and doesn’t happen overnight.
What does blue eyes in a puppy mean?
Lack of melanin in all or part of one eye results in heterochromia. When a dog has heterochromia, one of their eyes appears blue or bluish-white due to a lack of melanin. In dogs, heterochromia is frequently hereditary, or transmitted through the genetic code.